On February 7, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense released a memorandum for military departments with the subject line “Correction of Military Records for Service Members Involuntarily Separated for Refusal to Comply with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Requirements.”
While the subject implies this is a memo for those “involuntarily separated,” there is a section for “voluntary separations.” And it’s the latter category that is grabbing the attention of former service members.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to John Frankman about the memo. The former Army captain and Special Forces Green Beret had his 8-year active duty career cut short as a result of the now rescinded 2021 shot mandate.
“Although the memo robustly addresses those kicked out,” he quickly pointed out, “it does not provide adequate reparation for those who voluntarily separated.”
Bradley Miller, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, agreed. In October 2021, he was relieved of his battalion command within the 101st Airborne Division for refusing the COVID shot after 19 years of service.
“The memo explicitly states that the offer of reinstatement with back pay only applies to those who were involuntarily separated,” he also noted. “This process for reinstatement does not offer back pay to the much larger group that was so-called voluntarily separated.”
The word “voluntary” is “problematic” for both Frankman and Miller. “For those who left the military over the COVID-19 shot mandate, did they really leave voluntarily?” Miller offered. “No, I think the argument can be made that they too were forced out.”
Some estimate there could be tens of thousands of service members who were coerced and threatened with dishonorable discharge, court martial, removal of benefits, demotion, and more.
“So did they leave service voluntarily?”
Hellbound and Down 